Rewriting The Three Little Pigs at Plymouth Elementary School

The students brainstormed changes to the story elements for The Three Little Pigs.

For Read Across America Week at Plymouth Elementary School (PE), students read a “Fractured Fairy Tale” about The Three Little Pigs and drew inspiration from that for a writing project during their Library class.

“We’re writing our own versions of The Three Little Pigs. You can make your own twist to it,” said PE Second Grader Aariana Avery. “I enjoy writing, because I like to express myself.”

First, the students looked at different story elements of the original: the characters, setting, problem, as well as the beginning, middle, and end. Then they brainstormed ideas of their own to change the story.

“I’m making it The Three Little Giraffes, because they’re my favorite animal, and I like them,” said Lily Foster, also a PE second grader. “Instead of The Big Bad Wolf, it’s going to be The Big Bad Gritty.”

“Mine’s going to be The Three Little Vampires. They’re in the market, because their mom sent them to go get food,” said Aariana.

The project is one of several at Plymouth Elementary School and across the Colonial School District for Read Across America Week.

“I like Read Across America Week and coming to the library, because we get to explore different types of books,” said PE second grader Jonas Ross.

Next, the students will use the computer program Wixie or Scratch — instead of pen and paper — to bring their new fairy tales to life.

Read Across America is an initiative of the National Education Association (the national teachers’ union) and is celebrated the first week in March.